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Two Englishmen who dress up as a tiger and a bear to explore Korean society now have some company, in the form of the Tiger and Bear comic strip.
When James Topple and Colin Riddle moved to Korea, they had an idea to investigate how people have adapted to the economic and social changes that have taken place over the past decades. They would do it through the eyes of "Tiger and Bear," important creatures in Korea`s mythology. The results are fresh interpretations of modern-day Korea.
The legend of tiger and bear tells of the creation of Dangun, forefather of the Korean people, in relation to a tiger and a bear that longed to become human. To make a long story short, the tiger ran away while the bear stayed and became a beautiful woman. The God Hwanung eloped with her and she gave birth to a son, Dangun, who established the Gojoseon Kingdom, founding the nation of Korea.
The two Englishmen are hard to miss. Whether on the subway or at an amusement park, Topple and Riddle can be seen wearing giant cartoonish tiger and bear heads.
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"We`ve always thought about the Tiger and Bear project as ... a piece of critical writing. We have an introduction - Tiger and Bear from the Joseon legend have returned to Korea - then we pose a question - how do they adapt to the dramatic changes that Korea has undertaken. The work itself is like the main body; it`s up to the viewer to form their own conclusion," said Topple.
Adding to the in-person Tiger and Bear performances, the comic strip is the newest addition to the Tiger and Bear project.
"As far as reflecting society," Riddle said, "we are giving a voice to people by inviting anyone to collaborate and write the comics, so you could say that a part of society is reflected in the words and the images."
The Tiger and Bear projects, both in-person and the comic, follow Korea through its modernization, with the ultimate goal of bringing out different interpretations of the country. "We like to think of Tiger and Bear as a cultural meeting place where we can reflect on the old and the new Korea. We want to bring out different views and interpretations of Korea. We hope that people will stop to think more about their place in society and take the time to find out more about their new home," said Topple.
The idea for a tiger and bear comic strip came from the brain of Craig White, the managing editor of Daegu Pockets. He wanted an ongoing strip based on Topple and Riddle`s alter egos, tiger and bear. After sending out a call for illustrators, more than 20 expressed interest. So instead of turning so many away, it was decided to open it up to all interested illustrators to broaden the interpretations.
"The Tiger and Bear project has always been about the reaction of the public and bringing our work into the public domain in innovative ways, so we decided that we would also put the comic project out there for other people to write too," Riddle said.
He added that the idea of a straight forward comic from their own perspectives didn`t seem as appealing as trying to push the idea of a comic into a much more conceptual vehicle. The artists even include those that have never set foot in Korea. "It has also been interesting to receive ideas and illustrations from people who have never actually been to Korea and how they perceive it from what knowledge they have."
The illustrators come from a vast spectrum of backgrounds. From a 6-year-old English girl to a university professor, all have differing experiences. The result is a great degree of variation as to what each reader finds in each strip.
One artist, Clayton Foster from New Zealand, said Tiger and Bear reflects the idea that as "expats" we can dress up in the local culture, but we`ll still be outsiders to an extent. "Tiger and Bear exploits the inherent awkwardness of being a stranger in a strange land, and at the same time offering some unique insights." Foster lives in Suji and works as a freelance writer and illustrator.
Some artists take a more metaphorical approach. David Caleb Recine, from Minneapolis, Minnesota, explain how that in the original Tiger and Bear myth, they had to stay in a cave for 100 days to become human. Tiger grew impatient and left. The bear stayed, became human, and founded Korean society.
"Today, the goal isn`t to become human - it`s to become global. The `Tigers` among us lose their patience. Foreign Tigers make no effort to learn Korean or participate in Korean culture. Korean Tigers have no interest in world travel and want no exposure to foreigners, their language or their ideas. The Bears among us stay in the `cave` of globalization, working to become new people. Korean Bears are foreigners and Koreans who make an effort to reach out to each other, sharing their language, culture, and ideas toward a common goal - building a new and mighty Korea."
One goal of the project is to reach out to expats in Korea as well. Riddle asks: "The myth is believed to tell of the joining of two tribes, one worshipped the tiger, the other worshipping the bear. As with all myths we consider the examples set forth in it: as a foreigner in Korea should we be more like the tiger or more akin to the bear?"
(mattlamers@heraldcorp.com)

By Matthew Lamers